Nepali ambassador lists post-quake relief priorities

Nepal Ambassador to China Mahesh Kumar Maskey on Thursday spoke to Xinhua about the five priorities in Nepal's post-quake relief work.

"The most urgent need is temporary shelter for the people whose houses have been damaged or completely destroyed," Maskey explained, adding that the Nepali government would welcome donations of tarpaulin sheets and tents.

After shelter, health is identified as the next most pressing issue. Maskey explained that the country needs to erect temporary hospitals, with theaters for operations. Nepal has asked the international community for assistance with establishing these field hospitals.

A report released by a Chinese medical team on Saturday put the possibility of disease outbreaks is "high" in quake-hit areas of Nepal.

Maskey said the Nepalese government will do its utmost to prevent the outbreak of an epidemic.

The Himalayan country also needs assistance in assessing the strength of buildings, as many are worried that in addition to the destruction of the earthquake, aftershocks may have further damaged buildings.

Equipment is needed to assess the safety of structures, as well as engineers to consult and assess repair work, said the ambassador.

"China has the technical capacity to do this, so this is something we are looking toward China for," he added.

The 8.1 magnitude earthquake also destroyed magnificent sites of cultural and historical importance in Kathmandu valley, including temples and ancient towers.

In a more long-term plan, Nepal will start the rehabilitation, reconstruction and renovation of its world heritage monuments which have been completely destroyed or partly damaged, said Maskey.

The fifth priority is to ensure that roads are accessible and functional, he said, saying Nepal and China are cooperating on the restoration of the China-Nepal highway on the Nepalese side.

The China-Nepal Highway, with a total length of 943 kilometers including 829 km in Tibet, was severely damaged. Workers had cleared the Tibetan section of the highway by Friday afternoon.

Maskey thanked China for its immediate and very supportive response.

Medical personnel and the armed forces of both countries are working together, he said, and he lauded their work.

Qiangba Puncog, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), went to the Nepal Embassy in Beijing on Thursday to expressed sincere condolences to the Nepali government and people.

The death toll from the devastating earthquake in Nepal soared to 8,413 on Wednesday, according to the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS). In addition, 17,576 were injured and 260 people are still missing. Endi